


A Downton Childhood

by fandomgurl77



Category: Downton Abbey, Dumbo (2019)
Genre: 1800s, 1870s, 1880s, :O, Childhood, Expectations, Gen, Girls vs Boys, Period-Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Classism, Period-Typical Sexism, Playtime, Shunned, evil nanny, i forgot i had this idea and then it came back to me, kicked out, maybe a bit of the 1890s not sure yet, oh robert, poor Sotheby, servant in training, young robert, young years
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:55:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgurl77/pseuds/fandomgurl77
Summary: Born in December 1871, Robert Crawley had all the finest luxuries available at the time while growing up at Downton Abbey, in addition to an older brother and two sisters.This is their story.Most chapters are rated G - T but some later parts may be more in M-rated territory. (This will be warned about if necessary.)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

_April 3_

_1877_

‘Tag, you’re it’, 8-year old Sotheby said with delight to his 5-year old brother, Robert, before darting out of the nursery and down the hall.’

 _‘I’ll get you, Sotheby’,_ Robert thought before doing the same, _‘You’ll be sorry you said that.’_

As this was going on, his two older sisters rolled their eyes in disbelief.

‘Boys…’ one of them, Margaret, said, ‘When will they ever learn?’

‘Exactly’, her sister, Grace, said, ‘They know they’re not allowed to run in the house; there’s bound to be an accident someday.’

‘I agree’, Margaret said, ‘It’s only a matter of time…’

Indeed, as Sotheby was hastily making his way down the grand staircase, he inadvertently crashed into Peter, one of the footmen, causing him to drop the tray he was carrying.

CRASH!!!’

_‘What the…’_ he thought as the ornate teapot shattered on the stairs, leaving them awash with its boiling-hot contents before he noticed the culprit responsible for this disaster.

‘Ahem’, he said angrily.

‘Oh’, Sotheby said while smiling, ‘Good afternoon, Peter. Lovely day, isn’t it?’

‘Look what you’ve done!’ Peter said while gesturing to the mess on the stairs, ‘What am I going to tell your mother when I get up there, eh?’

‘Look, I’m sorry’, Sotheby said, ‘I’ll even help you clean it up, I promise.’

‘What’s going on here?’ Robert asked when he caught up with him.

‘I ended up dropping one of Her Ladyship’s best teapots thanks to your brother!’ Peter replied.

‘Oh, Sotheby’, Robert said, ‘What have you done this time?’

‘I don’t know’, Sotheby said, ‘I was coming down the stairs, when he came out of nowhere…’

‘While you were running in the house, no doubt!’ Peter said, ‘Such behaviour must not go unpunished!’

‘You don’t mean…’ Sotheby said nervously while quickly glancing at Robert.

‘Yes, Sotheby’, Peter said, ‘I **will** be telling your parents **_and_** Nanny about this later tonight!’

Later that night, hours after dinner had finished, Robert walked up to Sotheby, who’d been given a stern talking to at dinner before receiving a hiding from Nanny, leaving him shaking and in tears.

‘Hey, Sotheby’, he said, ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Go away, Bobbo, I’m not in the mood’, Sotheby sobbed.

Hearing him using his nickname – especially at a time like this – warmed Robert’s heart; at least until Nanny caught wind of what was going on...

‘Hey!’ she snarled, ‘No talking to your brother while he’s being punished!’

‘Sorry, I…’ Robert began before being cut off.

‘Don’t you **dare** speak back to me, Mister!’ Nanny snapped while pointing to a bed in the far corner, ‘Go to bed!’

 _‘Ok, ok’_ , Robert said before making his way to the corner, _‘You don’t have to scream the place down.’_


	2. Chapter 2

At approximately 9:00 the next morning. Sotheby burst into the nursery from the hall to tell Robert something important.

‘Hey, Bobbo’, he said, ‘I just saw something fascinating going on down the hall.’

‘Ok, you have my attention’, Robert said, ‘Now, what was it?’

‘You’ll never believe this, but…’, Sotheby said before going quiet for a few seconds, ‘On second thought, maybe you should come with me and see for yourself.’

‘Ok’, Robert said before following his brother down the hall.

‘See that?’ Sotheby whispered behind a slightly open door as they peered in, ‘Amazing, isn’t it?’

‘But Sotheby…’ Robert whispered, ‘It’s just Peter and Maxwell walking around serving tea and cakes; there’s nothing out of the ordinary about it!’

However, Sotheby was mesmerised as he watched the scene before him.

 _‘That will be me someday…’_ he thought until Robert spoke again, startling him.

‘Anyway', he said, ‘We better head back before Nanny discovers we’re missing.’

This caused a chill to run down Sotheby’s spine as he remembered the events of the previous night.

‘Agreed’, he said, ‘We don’t want a repeat of last night, do we?’

‘No’, Robert said, ‘By the way you reacted and the look on your face, I am guessing it wasn’t a pleasant experience.’

‘You can say that again’, Sotheby said, ‘I never thought she had it in her to do such a thing.’

**Fifteen minutes later…**

‘What the…’ Robert said upon hearing a rustling noise as Sotheby took a box down from a shelf beside one of the windows, ‘Sotheby, what are you doing? I’m trying to read here.’

‘Sorry about the noise’, Sotheby said upon bringing the box over and placing it on the floor, ‘But look what I found; Grace’s old toy tea set!’

‘A tea set??’ Robert said as Sotheby opened the lid, ‘Sotheby…this has gone too far…’

‘What do you mean?’ Sotheby asked.

‘Little boys don’t play with tea sets’, Robert replied, ‘That’s girls’ stuff.’

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘But…the hall…’

‘That’s different’, Robert said, ‘They’re footmen who are paid to do that kind of work; to serve us aristocrats by tending to our every need – the same goes for the rest of the staff.’

‘Well’, Sotheby said, ‘I find it fascinating; perhaps I may even become someone’s servant someday.’

‘Don’t get your hopes up’, Robert said, ‘Mama and Papa would _never_ allow it; they’re planning for you to inherit the estate when you’re old enough, since you’re the eldest brother.’

‘What about you?’ Sotheby asked.

‘As for me, I don’t know what my future holds’, Robert said disappointedly, ‘I’ll probably become some wealthy lady’s husband as soon as I am the correct age.’

‘Seriously’, Sotheby said upon realising what this meant about their futures, ‘There must be more to life than just continuing the same old boring lifestyle with each generation. Where’s the fun in that??’

‘I know’, Robert said, ‘But it’s how it is for people like us, I suppose.’

‘So’, Sotheby said, ‘What do you say? Why don’t we go against tradition for once and get this tea set out?’

‘Um…’ Robert said before finally giving in, ‘Ok. Once won’t hurt.’

‘Right then’, Sotheby said before shifting the box over to a set of chairs and a table on the far side of the room, ‘Let’s set up over here.’

‘Ok’, Robert said as he sat in one of the chairs, ‘I’ll sit here, while you put everything on the shelf behind you.’

**4:00 p.m...**

‘Thank you, Mama’, Margaret said to Violet, ‘I’ll be sure to take extra care of it.’

‘I’m glad you like it, dear’, Violet said, ‘Now, run along and find your sister.’

‘Yes, Mama’, Margaret said before leaving the Drawing Room.

‘Wow, Margaret!’ Grace said gleefully upon seeing her sister’s new sparkly accessory, ‘It’s beautiful!’

‘I know’, Margaret giggled as they walked down the hall, ‘It’s just what I wanted too.’

‘Anyway’, Grace said, ‘How was your French lesson today?’

‘Fantastique’, Margaret said ‘I’d just finished for the day before I saw you in the hall.’

‘Hey’, Grace said, ‘Do you remember when we used to have tea parties together years ago?’

‘Ah, yes’, Margaret said, ‘I always loved setting your tea set out on a blanket in the middle of the nursery floor and pretending to drink tea.’

‘Those were the days’, Grace said, ‘All but gone now.’

‘Yes’, Margaret said, ‘I sometimes wonder what happened to that old tea set, where it is now.’

‘Me too’, Grace said as they approached the nursey door.

As if on cue, they heard familiar-sounding voices on the other side.

‘Grace, have a listen’, Margaret whispered, ‘It sounds like the boys are doing something in there.’

‘So they are’, Grace whispered, ‘Let’s open the door slightly and find out what they’re up to.’

‘Yes’, Margaret whispered upon opening the door slightly and quietly.

‘Would you like some more tea, sir?’ Sotheby asked while balancing a makeshift circular tray with a toy teapot in the centre.

‘Yes, thank you, Sotheby’, Robert said before his brother pretended to fill his cup.

‘All in a day’s work, sir’, Sotheby said before returning the teapot to the tray and placing it on the shelf with the reast of the set, which was when Margaret opened the door completely.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked as she and Grace entered the room.

‘Oh’, Robert replied, ‘We’re having a tea party.’

‘And I’m the server’, Sotheby said.

‘I can’t believe it, Grace’, Margaret said, ‘Boys? Having a tea party? It’s absurd!’

‘Unless you’re a footman or something’, Grace said to Sotheby, ‘Then it’s not of your domain to serve tea…or anything for that matter.’

‘But…’ Sotheby began before being cut off.

‘There are a set of boundaries between the lower classes, such as the servant class, and the upper and aristocratic classes, which includes us’, Grace said, ‘And no-one dares to cross those boundaries.’

‘Listen, Grace’, Sotheby said, ‘I will become one of the servant class in one way or another someday, just you wait and see. Even if I have to go down the social ladder.’

‘Fine’, Grace said, ‘Have it your way. Just don’t be surprised when society sets you straight.’

After Grace and Margaret had left the room, Sotheby decided it was time to return the tea set to its box.

‘Come on, Bobbo’, he said as he began packing the box by lying the teapot on its side in the centre, ‘Let’s put this away.’

‘Yes’, Robert said as he stacked the cups on side of the teapot until they had all been packed away, ‘Take no notice of Grace and Margaret; you should follow your dream.’

‘But what if they’re right?’ Sotheby asked.

‘Listen’, Robert said, ‘Everyone’s got a dream, a calling; it’s what you do with it that counts.’

‘Hm’, Sotheby said, ‘I suppose you’re right; I shouldn’t be so discouraged.’


End file.
